John Marshall and Judicial Review

Having lost both the presidency and control of Congress in 1800, the Federalists took steps to shore up their power before Jefferson took office. They did so by expanding the size of the federal court system, the one branch of the federal government that they still controlled. The Judiciary Act of 1801 created 6 circuit courts and 16 new judgeships. Federalists justified these “midnight appointments” (executed by Adams in the last weeks of his term) on the grounds that the expanding nation required a larger judiciary.

Among Adams’s last-minute appointments was that of William Marbury as justice of the peace for the District of Columbia. When James Madison assumed the……….

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get Your Custom Essay on
John Marshall and Judicial Review
Just from $13/Page
Order Essay